Improvement in lock-catch or stopper



'vwmmA E. I. MCCENEY, OF IVASHINGTON COUNTY, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCK-CATCH OR STOPPER.

VSpecification forming part of Letters Patent No. 73,358, (lated January 14,1868.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR P. MCCENEY, of the county of Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful improvement, which I call a Rope Catch or Stopperg7 and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a view of the catch, with a rope introduced in the catch 5 Fig. 2 a section thereof, showing the passing of a rope through the catch in its employment in lowering a boat; Fig. 3, the employment of the catch to a jrile-board, for securing bundles ot' papers, Ste.

The object and purpose of my improvement are to furnish a certain and safe means of arresting the descent of a boat in lowering it from the side of a vessel.

My invention consists in combining a bent lever, a slide-bolt, or its equivalent, with a frame, so constructed -and arranged as to accomplish the above result.

To enable others to make and use my inven-d tion, it may be described as follows z In the several figures, a represents the frame. I) is a pivoted bent lever; c, a sliding bolt7 moving back and forth in grooves in the frame a. The frame a has a cut, e, at its front end, which is cut beveling instead of square7 so as to jam the rope when the end of the bent lever b is thrown down. f is the pivot on which the bent lever moves. The slide c admits of being moved toward or from the rear end of the lever, (it is shown withdrawn 5) and when it is desired to lock or stop the rope between the lever and the recess e in the frame,

the slide is pressed forward and under the end of the lever. The lever b is sufciently bent that its front end may be raised by pressure on the rear end, and so long as the front end is thus raised'the rope or cord will pass through the frame freely in either direction; but when the slide-bolt c is pressed or slid under the lever, the rope will be locked and prevented from moving.

/Vhen the catch is used for lowering a boat, it is to be fastened to the boat by a rope or chain passing through the hole a in the end of the frame. When it is'employed as a filefastener, as represented in Fig. 3, the end of the cord is secured in the hole or ring at a', while the other end of the oord is passed around the file-board and bundle of papers. Cord being used allows otthe slipping thereof without the drawing aside of the file-board in tying up, and as the simple loosening of the cord admits of the withdrawal ofl any single paper in the bundle by merely-drawin g of the bolt c, it is a decided improvement over the leather strap and buckle now used.

Having described my improvement in rope catches or Stoppers, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

So combining and arranging a bent lever, b, a slide-bolt, c, with a frame, a, in the man.- ner substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name before two subscribing witnesses.

E. l). MCCENEY.

Witnesses:

J oHN F. CLARK, EDM. F. BROWN. 

